René O'Deay gBlog

Dirty snow may warm Arctic as much as greenhouse gases

Burning cleaner fuel would brighten snow and lower temperatures.

If you are really worried about the Arctic Ice melting, Scientists suggest measures everyone can use right now to prevent the Arctic Ice from melting so fast! With much faster results than trying to reduce carbon dioxide.

Irvine, Calif., June 6, 2007 The global warming debate has focused on carbon dioxide emissions, but scientists at UC Irvine have determined that a lesser-known mechanism 'dirty snow' can explain one-third or more of the Arctic warming primarily attributed to greenhouse gases.

“When we inject dirty particles into the atmosphere and they fall onto snow, the net effect is we warm the polar latitudes,” said Charlie Zender, associate professor of Earth system science at UCI and co-author of the study. “Dark soot can heat up quickly. It’s like placing tiny toaster ovens into the snow pack.”

Since the Industrial Revolution, in the past 200 years, the Earth has warmed about .8 degree Celsius, dirty snow caused the Earth’s global temperature to rise .1 to .15 degree, or up to 19 percent of the total warming.

In the past two centuries, the Arctic has warmed about 1.6 degrees. Dirty snow caused .5 to 1.5 degrees of warming, or up to 94 percent of the observed change, the scientists determined. 94 percent!

Zender said. “A small amount of snow impurities in the Arctic have caused a significant temperature response there.”
Reported June 7, 2007: Today@UCI: Press Releases

Zender suggested we could see immediate results in the Arctic from consumers reduction of energy use, using more energy-efficient appliances, use of cleaner fuels, and limiting outdoor burning and fires. (putting out forest fires?)

Less airborne soot from industry and fuel combustion would yield brighter snow, less melt. Especially since it only takes a small amount to cause a significant temperature response in the Arctic.

Here's news: NASA has been warning about the effects of black soot and dirty snow on climate for years now. NASA also reports black soot is causing an increase in the flooding and droughts in China recently.

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Date:December 23, 2003: Black Soot And Snow: A Warmer Combination
New research from NASA scientists suggests emissions of black soot alter the way sunlight reflects off snow. According to a computer simulation, black soot may be responsible for 25 percent of observed global warming over the past century."

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Date: September 27, 2002:
A new NASA climate study has found large amounts of black carbon (soot) particles and other pollutants are causing changes in precipitation and temperatures over China and may be at least partially responsible for the tendency toward increased floods and droughts in those regions over the last several decades.

You can blame governments for reducing the emission limits on industrial pollutants or not even imposing or enforcing them. The heaviest-polluting coal-burning Four Corners Power Plant on Navajo lands located near the junction of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, has operated with impunity and absolutely no controls since 1960! Sierra Club Clean Air Lawsuit against the EPA

Why does the Environmental protection Agency have to be sued to force them to do their job? And even when the EPA loses, why do they still drag their feet at enforcement?

I suggest everyone help hold their feet to the fire: EPA and Congress and the President!

What I have a hard time figuring out is what those small Celsius degrees represent in fahrenheit degrees?
Surely 1 degree of Celcius is NOT 33 degrees F ?!

Maybe one of my readers can give us a clue.


René O'Deay